The Healer
by Athena360
Summary: Renee is Emma Swan's best friend growing up, but she finds herself in Storybrooke before Emma. How will her appearance change the course of the series, and who is she is in relation to others in town. Can she find love for both Emma and herself, and does she believe in the curse? Rating may go up. Will be multi-chap fic. First fanfiction. Please be nice.
1. Prologue

The sounds were overwhelming. All the woman could hear were the sounds of guns banging in the open space and bombs booming overhead. These noises had become her doorway to the world outside, the chaos calming her as the sounds came closer. She was a medic in the U.S. Army. At least, she had been until five months previously. When the enemy forces had attacked the little outpost where she was stationed, she and her men held out for as long as they could. However, her men had been dying, she had been desperate for reinforcements that she was almost sure had never arrived. The enemies shouted over the thin walls that had been broken down almost completely that they would leave the rest alone if they could receive a doctor to take back with them, to _help_ them. She remembered, she had looked at her men, who lay sick and dying, and at herself, covered with bruises and on the verge of collapse. They had been starving, and she had known, her men could not stand another attack. She had cleared her head, and had covered up her second-in-command, an officer named August Booth in a blanket, and had stepped out of the little wrecked building and, just like that, Dr. Renee Xantho had become a prisoner of war.

In her time in the army, she had heard many gunshots and bombs, but these brought a feeling of never-ending joy, for after several hours she could no longer deny herself, they were coming closer. She tried, in vain, to sit up, despite the searing pains in her legs, back, and chest, from what she had endured over the past five months. At first, she recalled, it had not been horrible. There was the occasional beating when she was less than obedient, and she had to heal all of the wounded soldiers that were brought to her. After the first few weeks however, the small camp in which she was held was brought under new management. When the new commander had discovered her, he implemented a new policy of torture and less-than-humane treatment towards the foreign member of the camp. As the months wore on, she found herself fighting for the right to live, doing things that she never thought that she would ever subject herself to.

As she lay in the corner of her little cell that had become her home, and her sanctuary, she suddenly heard a scramble of footsteps running across the cellblock, and the opening and slamming of doors. She tried to cry out, but her voice was unable to follow her mind because of the months of disuse and abuse. She sat there, in the dark, listening to the footfalls of those who could be her rescuers, for what seemed like hours. She had almost given up hope of being found and was resigning herself to the slow, painful, death she seemed destined to receive when the footsteps stopped right outside the door to her cell. As the door was cracked open, she saw a gruff face appear for a second, disappear, and then reappear suddenly, with an astonished look on its face. Renee noticed, that when it came closer, it bore the mark the same as she had, back then. It, a soldier, her mind supplied, walked carefully toward her cell, her cage, and Renee shifted back suddenly, and felt small and dirty as she hid her face with her now long brown hair, which was speckled with blood. The soldier came closer and when he approached her jail, he declared with a soft voice, unexpected for having such a tough face, "Hey, it's okay. It's over. Can you speak? Can you tell me your name? Are you badly injured?" At this, Renee stared awestruck at this soldier, unaware of the meaning behind his words, as the thing that she had hoped and prayed for came true and she tried to scoot closer, only making it a half of an inch before crumpling to the floor, the pain overwhelming her as darkness clouded her vision.

That had been close to two years ago. After a year of rehab, Renee had been released into society. Her first course of action was to look up the members of her original troop, the ones who she had last left scared and dying in a small building in the Middle East. She had found most of them, alive and working, some even with families or significant others. The only one that she had not found was August W. Booth. She and August had been friends since boot camp, and quickly bonded over their love of writing. He was the one who took her mind off of the chaos around her, and he had become one of the best friends she had ever had.

Ever since she had returned to the U.S. she had been writing, about everything. Eventually, after several failed attempts, she gave up on being a doctor, claiming that what had happened was too traumatic. She went back to college, and took special classes in profiling, to help her to write her characters realistically. There wasn't much to bother Renee once she had moved back to Los Angeles. She found herself isolated, untrusting, and one day her inability to trust had gotten her into trouble.

Renee had been at a conference for writers being held in Anaheim, and had been at the bank, ready to make a withdrawal. She remembers there had been a crash and then someone was yelling "On the ground. Get on the ground NOW!" She was pushed to the floor, and adrenaline started pumping in her blood. She heard the shot of a gun, and looked to her left to see a man fall to the ground, blood coming from a wound in his side. At once, she felt like she was transported into a battlefield in the Middle East, and, before her mind decided otherwise, Renee slowly crawled over to him. One of the robbers grabbed his gun nervously and yelled at her "What are you doing? Get away from him!" She looked up at him and said calmly, even though every nerve in her body was on fire, "I'm a doctor. Let me help him." The robber looked at the man, and nodded, and Renee quickly stood up and went to him, assessing the wound and noting that he was breathing, and his pulse steady before applying counter-pressure to the wound. With her attention focused on her patient, she barely noticed when the EMT's arrived and asked her how he was. She replied, giving all the information she knew, and noting that his blood loss had been surprisingly light.

After this, Renee chose to go back to her medical profession. She started looking for jobs on the East Coast, wanting a fresh start. She found it in a little town called Storybrooke. They had been searching for a doctor to help run the local hospital for years, and, after talking with the other doctor on staff, a Victor Whale, decided to take the job.

Now, Renee steps off her motorcycle, looking around at the little town that was to become her home. She noticed a diner, with an inn, and the sheriff's office, which was surrounded by shops. The thing that drew her attention the most, however, was the clock tower that stood in the middle of the town. It was frozen, its hands not moving past 8:15. The tower seemed to project sadness, and she found herself staring at the abandoned library underneath, before parking her bike and walking around.

She had decided that the town may be small, but its inhabitants definitely weren't. In fact, most had personalities that seemed larger than life, she reflected, as she sat down on her bed in Granny's Bed and Breakfast. Finding a place to stay until she had an apartment had seemed like a good idea, and quickly made the top of her priorities. She wandered the town for a while, before going into the small inn.

"Be right with you dear", Granny said, popping her head in from the kitchen and yelling "Ruby, we have a guest! Stop flirting with every living thing that breathes! And, watch the diner for a minute. Don't scare anyone off." Granny wiped her hands on her apron and sighed, before giving Renee a dazzling smile. Renee figured that it had probably been a while since there had been any visitors to the town, and shyly smiled back, quietly inquiring about a room.

"Right then. Here you go, a view of the town square. I saw you staring at the clock earlier. It hasn't moved for as long as anyone can remember. What are you doing in town?"

"Oh, I'm here for a job. I'm the new doctor at the hospital, and I just need a room until I can get a place." Renee replied, liking the woman despite her slightly overbearing personality. "Thank you so much for the room."

"If you are looking for an apartment dearie, remember to come stop by my shop." A voice behind Renee threw her off guard and she jumped, nearly punching the stranger in the face as her curly, wild hair hit him in the face. He was a man of medium build, with hair like sandpaper, tamed into place. His brown eyes sparkled and he looked at her with a new intensity, seeming to pour into her very soul, and reaching the corners of her existence. His suit was impeccable and he gripped his cane, which seemed to be a part of him, creating the illusion of a very well put-together man.

"I am terribly sorry if I frightened you, Miss…?"

Renee snapped back to attention before relaxing, and replied "Xantho, Dr. Renee Xantho. I'm the one who's sorry. It's been a long trip and I am very jumpy. I would love to come see you tomorrow, before I start work on Monday."

"Well Miss Xantho, I look forward to seeing you. I think I know just the place for you. My name is Mr. Gold. I own Gold's pawn shop and I am also the resident lawyer and realtor. I will see you around. Granny, can I have my usual?" With a nod from Granny, Mr. Gold sauntered out into the diner, leaving behind a very interesting atmosphere in the charming inn.

After taking her key, Renee put it in her pocket, said goodbye, and headed out to explore the town that had suddenly become much more interesting. As Renee walked down Main Street, she was excitedly taking a second look at everything except her feet, and walked straight into an inconveniently placed streetlamp, landing on her butt. As she sat on the ground, a little dazed, a woman came rushing up to her, setting down her shopping bag and holding out a hand to Renee.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay? Do I need to call an ambulance? Did you hit your head? Oh, do you need ice? I can get ice! No, no ice on head wounds. I don't even know. I volunteer at the hospital, I should know. I work with second graders, I should really know… let me start over, I'm sorry, my name is Mary Margaret Blanchard. Are you okay? That seemed like quite a fall." As she finished her rant, Renee stared dumbstruck at the black haired beauty. If she dressed a little differently, Renee had no doubt that she could turn heads if she wanted. Mary Margaret's expression kind and patient, Renee could see why she would work with children. Taking her hand, Renee was pulled to her feet.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's my fault for not looking where I was going. I am new in town and was taking in the sights." Renee shook her head, embarrassed, but happy that she hadn't hit her head very hard at all. She was starting to get a headache, and apologizing and agreeing to have lunch with Mary Margaret, the two exchanged numbers and Renee headed for the park.

The park was beautiful. In the middle was a large apple orchard with juicy red apples hanging from nearly every branch. "Beautiful, aren't they." A voice came from a ways off, and Renee turned around slowly, grateful that someone in this town approached people normally. The person was a woman, graceful and chic, wearing a suit and heels, looking completely at ease in the orchard. "You must be the new doctor. Renee, right?" At Renee's confused look she clarified with a smile, "Dr. Whale told me. Let me introduce myself. I'm Regina Mills, the mayor of Storybrooke. Welcome." Regina smiled and picked an apple, "Help yourself, the trees are public property, and this place is pretty desolate."

"Yeah, that's me. I love the town, by the way, even the people here are a little… weird. I mean no offense." Renee picked an apple, and placed it in her satchel. She took the opportunity to study Regina, or Mayor Mills. Renee noticed that the woman had a very welcoming smile, and it definitely seemed to free the woman's usually somber expression, creating a light face, Renee wondered how long it had been since it saw the light of day.

"Oh, none taken. Believe me. I know that they can be fairly weird, especially on your first day. I am actually here to invite you over for dinner, if you can make it. Consider it a "Welcome to Storybrooke" thing." Regina said this all with a smile, but this one didn't quite reach her eyes. Renee wondered what had happened to her to keep her this closed off from others. Regina's phone buzzed and her ringtone, the Darth Vader theme song started playing. "Sorry, that's my son, Henry. He's calling from home, I have to take this. Here's my number." Regina said, pulling out a business card and handing it to Renee. "Call me when you are more settled in, we can have dinner."

As Regina walked away, Renee sat down on a bench, and a man came walking towards her, clearly in her sight. He had a very determined gait and his walk was calculated and quick. He approached her, and reached out his hand for a hand-shake. "Hi, I'm Sherriff Graham Humbert. I am the law enforcement of Storybrooke. If you ever have any trouble, give the station a call. Do you like to play darts?" This question took Renee by surprise. It was a game she had played often with her boys in the Middle East, and, truth be told, in that moment, she kind of wanted to play. Graham had a very nice stature and his wild curly brown hair reminded herself of hers. His jacket was wrapped around him and underneath was a vest, shirt, and tie. His badge hung on his belt, and he smiled at her like she was the most important person on Earth. Everything about him screamed trustworthy and it did not hurt that he was extremely attractive.

"I'm Doctor Renee Xantho. I'm the new doctor down at the hospital." Renee shook Graham's hand and he smiled at her firm handshake. "First of all, question, do I call you Sheriff, Graham, or Mr. Humbert?" Graham visibly grimaced at the mention of 'Mr. Humbert'. Renee laughed at the look on his face and then asked "Are you any good at darts? I don't want to play a beginner." Now Graham just looked offended, but Renee noticed it wasn't actual offense, simply sarcastic offense at the insinuation that he wasn't good at darts.

"Rest assured, my dear Renee, I am _very_ good at darts. However, you look exhausted… and lovely. But exhausted. May I walk you to wherever you may be staying? Granny's? Have you eaten?" He looked so adorably concerned for Renee's well-being that Renee started to feel uncomfortable but happy that he cared. She nodded the affirmative to all his questions and together they walked back to Granny's the silence between them comfortable, and eventually they started chatting until they came to the porch at Granny's. When Graham saw Renee head inside, he left to go to his squad car, and Renee stood, peering out the window at the man outside. Heading upstairs, she removed her jacket and changed into her pajamas before sinking into her bed and looking forward to the changes in her life that would come in the morning.


	2. Prologue Part 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon A Time. If I did, Graham would still be alive. Sadness… ** ** .**

Renee stood in the concrete maze of the parking garage. "Emma… Emma where are you?" The sound seemed to bounce off of several walls in a never-ending echo. Renee felt anxious, waiting to hear anything, from footsteps to a shout back. As she turned to go look, she felt a hand grab her from behind, choking her, leaving her no room to breathe. As the stranger took his hand away from her mouth, Renee ran as fast as her body would allow out of the parking garage. Her chest was heaving as she ran, feeling herself on the verge of passing out from sheer exhaustion. Renee found herself wondering about the safety of her friend, wanting to go find her and take her away from this horrible place. Renee caught a glimpse of a shadow on the wall, and ran even faster, willing the man to stay away. She passed the rail at the entrance of the garage and ran out into the street as someone clobbered her from behind, causing her vision to fade to black as she thought "Emma… Run."

Renee scrambled up and out of bed, grasping the sheets and gasping for air. The realization that it was a nightmare was very welcome as she collapsed back into the sheets, running her hands through her long brown hair, and turning to look at the time. 7:45. Not bad, she thought as she sighed, preparing herself to get out of bed. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she looked at her small set of clothes and readied herself to face the day. Looking in the mirror, she saw that her curly brown locks were even more stupid than usual, causing her to break out the straightener at a vain attempt to tame them. Her hazel eyes were still dazed from sleep, and as she put on her glasses, seemed to almost snap into focus.

By this time, it was 8:00. Deciding that she should face the world, Renee grabbed her phone and stuffed it in her pocket, the keys to her motorcycle, and the purse with her wallet and I.D. inside, and walked outside of her room, locking it behind her with her room key.

After eating breakfast at the diner, Renee got on her motorcycle and drove down Main Street, looking for the shop that belonged to Mr. Gold. At the end of the street she found it, Gold's Pawn Shop. Seeing that the sign was flipped to open, Renee stepped inside, and heard the ringing of the little bell in the doorway.

"Hello, and welcome to Gold's Pawn Shop. How may I help you today, Dr. Xantho?" Mr. Gold welcomed her with a weird smile on his face. He gestured to an open seat at the counter, inviting her to sit down.

"Yes, um… hi. I was actually wondering, um… last night you mentioned maybe having an apartment that I could rent. I was just… following up." Renee stared around the room, trying to alleviate the awkwardness that hang heavy in the air.

"Of course. I have just the place for you, I think. A little one on Main Street, not too far from the hospital, with a view of the square. I can take you to see it now, if you would like. There are two others on the floor, but they are nice people, I suppose." Mr. Gold went around the counter and picked out a key that Renee assumed was for the apartment in question.

Renee replied, "I don't mind neighbors, and I would love to see it now if I could."

"Absolutely, just let me close the shop really fast and we can go see it." Mr. Gold locked the shop and Renee followed him in her motorcycle down Main Street to the apartment building. The apartment was a one bedroom, one bathroom apartment with enough living space and a kitchen. It was rather spacious for that type of apartment, with plenty of room for anything she needed. After looking it over, they headed back to the shop where Renee signed the lease and arranged a move-in date for two days afterwards.

As she left Gold's Shop, her phone buzzed in her pocket and Renee scrambled to pick it up. She answered it, "Dr. Xantho speaking, what's up?"

"Hello, Dr. Xantho, it's the woman who considers you a sister. Are you still driving or are you now stuck in that little town in Maine?"

"Emma… I had a dream about you last night. Yes I am now 'stuck in that little town' as you put it. It's actually quite quaint, it's a nice change of pace. How's Boston? Still chasing everyone who owes you money?" Renee smiled, it really had been too long since she had heard from Emma Swan. Emma Swan, the woman who was probably her only friend. They had been as close as sisters since they were children, having been placed in several foster homes together. After they had become legal, and after Renee had finished college, they had adopted each other as sisters legally. Emma was the only person who was told when Renee entered the army, and the only one called when Renee was found. Emma was probably the only person Renee would ever trust with her life.

"Hey, you know, since you are closer now, we should reinstate the birthday tradition." Emma sounded genuinely happy, for the first time in a while. Renee sighed, the birthday tradition was something that they had started after Emma got out of jail, where they met to celebrate Emma's, and by default, Renee's birthdays and hang out. They would talk and catch up and eat birthday cupcakes, because cakes were overrated, and complain about life in general. They had been nonexistent for the past couple years because Renee had been in Los Angeles, while Emma had been around the East Coast as a bail bondsperson.

"I just moved here, Emma. I need to settle in, I don't really think it's a good idea that I come up to Boston, I need to get comfortable at work, and I can't ask for time off for the drive when I am new to that job." Renee really was sorry that she couldn't do the tradition, but it couldn't be helped.

"Hey, no problem. I know that I will probably have to work that night too. I was just hoping, I guess. We haven't hung out enough since you have moved back." Emma answered with a sigh and Renee got on her bike, noticing that she was still in front of the Pawn Shop. "Hey, I have to go," Emma said suddenly, "My person just came out of his apartment. I was on a stakeout. Love you."

"Love you too." Renee said, and Emma hung up hurriedly, probably tailing her person. She headed out to lunch with an improvement in her mood.

Renee was sitting in the diner, drinking hot chocolate after having eaten her lunch when a man came up next to her and pulled out a seat. Taken aback, Renee stared at him awkwardly before remembering that this man was Doctor Victor Whale, the other doctor at Storybrooke General Hospital. He had on his typical lab coat, which was weird as he was not in the hospital but looked around before whispering to her conspiratorially, "I'm on my lunch break… the ladies love the white coat. Makes me look important." He said this with a seductive smile on his face and a waggle of his eyebrows, to which Renee simply raised one of hers.

"That actually works here?" Renee asked speculatively, not really believing a word that came out of the maverick's mouth.

"Ok, ok, it doesn't work as well as I wished it did. I am so relieved that you made it here safely. It's about time that I wasn't the only doctor in this town. You already have a bunch of patients lined up, but I wanted to ask you if you minded taking one more. There is a John Doe in a coma, in the Intensive Care Unit, and he's unresponsive, but his vitals are stable. The mayor is his contact person, we haven't been able to wake him up. I want to know if you would take him off of my hands as his doctor. I have a feeling that the mayor really wants him to wake up, I think that she is frustrated." He started talking and Renee realized that despite the fact that Whale obviously is a womanizer, he also really cared about his patients and she found herself agreeing, much to Whale's relief. As Whale headed back to the hospital, Renee found herself wondering what she had gotten into.

A couple days passed, and the van with Renee's belongings from Los Angeles came and she spent a day moving into her apartment. Apartment 4A was slowly starting to look like someplace to live and Renee was happy as she put her guitar into the stand in her living room type space. "Excuse me, do you need any help?" She heard from outside of her apartment. She turned around and saw a balding man with red hair dressed in a flannel vest and slacks.

"I'm Doctor Archibald Hopper. You can call me Archie, it looks like we are neighbors. I live in 4B." She took a minute to take in his glasses and his put together appearance, before inviting him inside.

"I'm sorry it's such a mess, but as you can see, I'm moving in. Actually, I would love some help if you could just take the empty boxes and put them into a pile over there please. I'm Doctor Renee Xantho, I am the new doctor at the hospital, it's nice to meet you." Archie moved, putting the boxes in a pile before commenting; "You are very organized."

"Oh, it will not be this organized by the end of this week, but it's nice for you to say so. What department are you in?"

"I'm a psychiatrist. I have an office outside of the hospital and I have a pretty good practice. If you ever need to talk, just come on over, if you need a friend." Archie was looking at the recently unpacked pictures of Renee and Emma when they were twelve, playing at a playground and smiled.

"That's my sister, Emma. Who else lives on this floor? Mr. Gold mentioned two neighbors," Renee said, answering Archie's unspoken question.

"Ah, that would be me. I am rather happy that you are the new neighbor, because it gives my housewarming gift quite good context." Renee looked at the door, and smiled when she saw Sheriff Graham Humbert standing just outside of the door holding a dartboard and a package of darts, smiling like an idiot.

"Yeah, that could have been awkward if it hadn't been me, wouldn't it." She replied, inviting him in, as he set the box of darts on the table and stood with the dartboard in his hands. "Can you put that here, let me put something on the wall to hang it on." She did, and he hung it, making sure it was straight before all three stood around talking. They headed out of Renee's apartment after a while, and left to go have dinner together.

Renee was swamped at work. She was introducing herself to new patients, and checking on old ones, including the John Doe in the ICU. She had just finished her last appointment of the day when she walked into her office and saw Graham there, looking somber. "What's up Graham? Did something happen?" Normally Graham was very open around her, and this was the first she had seen him in a bad mood.

"Henry, the Mayor's son is missing." Was all he said, as he sat down near her desk and put his head in his hands. Renee walked closer to Graham and simply asked, "How can I help?" Henry was one of her few child patients, and she gave him a check-up on her first day at the hospital. He really was a great kid, and Renee wanted to help.

"Would you mind being on the search and rescue team, we need someone to check on him when we find him to make sure he's okay, and I thought that you might be a better choice than Whale.

"Of course, it's not even a question." Not to mention, Renee thought that Regina Mills would kill her if she had turned it down. The mayor was probably frantic and out of her mind with worry. Renee turned around, gathered her stuff, and prepared to leave, praying to God that the little boy was alright.

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><p><strong>AN: I would like to thank Dream Your Own Destiny and punkberry for putting alerts on this story and Dream Your Own Destiny for favoriting this story. :) It means a lot. I am sorry I had such a long time between updates. I am hoping to be faster in the future.<strong> 


	3. Chapter 1: Welcome to Storybrooke

**Disclaimer: I do not own OUAT, even though I borrow the world to dream in. :)**

**Chapter 1: Welcome to Storybrooke (Pilot)**

Renee loved the feeling of the ocean mist on her face. For some reason, boats always held a strange fascination for her. Her best friend Emma, however, looked positively green as the two sailed, on a field trip on the ocean looking for animals in Long Beach.

"Renee, are we done yet?" Emma complained.

"You know, it might help if you go above deck, Emma, like I told you to." Renee told her, not seeing the problem with the tossing and turning of the boat. "The ocean is our friend."

"Well, it could certainly be nicer to me." Emma shot back, looking like she was about to throw up as a teacher came over.

"Miss Swan, Miss Xantho, are you alright. Miss Swan…" The teacher looked sympathetic to Emma's plight as Renee stood there, unable to help as her friend spewed her lunch all over the deck. Three burly boys appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and Renee heard one of them say "I thought it was called the poop deck not the barf deck." The chuckles went unnoticed by the teacher, but Renee was livid. Heading out of the cabin, she went onto the deck and went straight for the three boys. When they saw her coming, they started laughing harder. Renee did not care that her shoes were currently covered in her best friend's barf, all she cared about was the fact that Emma was now humiliated by more people than she had to be. Walking up to the boys, she looked down, saw that her shoes were covered in Emma's lunch, and started to take them off. She held them by the shoelaces and put them down beside her, and then started to walk away, before the boys started laughing again. Renee stopped, and almost turned around when she heard "Hey loser, you forgot your barf shoes. Come get them."

Renee simply replied, "Make me." The boys started to come closer, and picking her shoes up by the shoelaces, dangled them over the side of the boat. The steps caused Renee to turn around, not expecting them to actually touch them since they were covered in barf, which, she realized, was useless because they were boys, they probably didn't care. Still, those were her only shoes. Looking through the porthole she saw that the teacher was still trying to help Emma, unsuccessfully. She looked to her back and saw a big wave coming. She knew that her shoes would be knocked out of their hands.

"Boys, give the girl her shoes back." A gruff voice came from behind them, and she saw someone standing there, with a big hat. The boys scuffled quickly away from the edge of the boat and put the shoes in the pile of barf. Sighing, Renee picked up her shoes by the laces and stood there for a minute, completely forgetting about the man behind her. "I'm sorry about them, and the shoes. Is that your friend back there throwing up?"

"Yeah. It's not her fault, she apparently gets seasick. Normally she is the one fighting for us. I don't fight, I just comment. It was kind of nice trying to stand up for her for once, but I lost my nerve." She said, trying to backpedal out of the trouble she thought she was in for starting a fight. Well, it wasn't a fight, but the intention was there.

"What were you going to do?" The person inquired gently, looking into her eyes.

"I was going to throw my barf covered shoes at them for making fun of Emma barfing and then watched them barf. But I decided that they weren't worth it after I took my shoes off."

"Smart girl." The man smiled. "That would have been oddly poetic." Shaking his head, he held out his hand for her to shake, "Not that I am condoning fighting on my ship, I'm the captain that would look bad. Don't fight. But, if you had done it, I would definitely would have said, "good form"" The captain said this with a wink and a smile, and went back up to his post after looking back at her once more with a twinkle in his eye.

The words struck a chord in Renee as she headed back to check on Emma after cleaning off her barf shoes with some water she had found, not from the ocean. When she found Emma, laying on a bunk in the ship, mostly asleep, and barely hanging on to consciousness while the ship gently rocked, she sighed, and when Emma asked her what had happened, the twelve year old simply said that she had to clean off her shoes.

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><p>Looking around the pier in Storybrooke, Renee found herself remembering that day. The first time, she remembered, that she had ever stood up for herself, and she smiled. Then, she remembered why she was here in the first place. Henry, the mayor's little boy who was a favorite of nearly everyone in town. He had been her first patient in town. The mayor had been worried that he had come down with the flu, but it was just a cold. Nonetheless, Henry had amused her with anecdotes from his story book "Once Upon A Time" and had attempted to explain to her his theory regarding the townspeople. She thought it was slightly crazy, but she thought she understood. The kid wondered whether anyone really loved him, and seeing fairy tales everywhere, where good always wins, had to be good for something.<p>

Graham came up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. "We're ready to start looking, Renee." She turned around, looking at his grim face as he spoke to the crowd that had gathered as a search party.

"Hello everyone, we are looking for Henry Mills, age ten, last seen on his way to school. We will split into groups of twos, pick a partner, Dr. Xantho will be with me. There are radios on the table, grab one per group and a map with your area. If you find him, notify Dr. Xantho and me immediately. We want to get him home to Mayor Mills as soon as possible. She is remaining at home to see if he comes back on his own, and will radio us if he comes. Dr. Xantho and I are the only ones who will radio the whole group, any other radios should not be trusted. Good luck, stay safe. I only want one search party today. Check in with us every hour. Thank you."

As the people dispersed slowly, Renee and Graham stood there, barely speaking. Turning to Graham, Renee grabbed her medical kit from the ground and asked "So, where are we looking for Henry?"

"I thought we would search the woods behind the hospital. If I was a boy who wanted to get away from everything that's where I would go." Graham and Renee walked towards the hospital when they were stopped by Granny from the diner. "Sherriff, Renee, I have some sandwiches for you two, I made them for when you came in for lunch with Mary Margaret, Renee. Have them, you will probably be out there for a while, and you need to keep your strength up. You can pay me later."

"Thank you. I am sure that we will enjoy them. We really do have to go, now. Sorry, thank you." Graham grabbed the sandwiches and Renee's hand and started running toward the forest, where they saw a figure in the shadows of the trees.

* * *

><p>They ran through the foliage, trying to catch up to the mysterious man, but came to a clearing in the woods, stopping to catch their breath. Renee, in particular, was breathing heavily, having to bend over and take deep breaths to be able to talk. "Wh- Whe- Where did he go?" She said, still having trouble breathing from the heavy running.<p>

"I don't know, Renee." Graham said exasperatedly, searching the ground for nonexistent tracks.

"Graham?" Renee said, and Graham looked up at her.

"What?"

"Please tell me that we, two fully grown adults who run places every day, did not just get out run by a ten year old boy." By the end of her sentence her tone had reached incredulity.

"I don't know. I hope so." Renee stared at Graham, now listening fully to what he had to say, but looking at him with a very confused look on her face. "Not that I hope he outran us, but I hope it was him and that he is well enough to be the person who ran away from us. I really don't want to know who else would be running away from us in the woods."

"Good logic. We search now?" Renee said, trying to conserve her words and her breath.

"Yeah. We search." Graham hung his head and picked up the sandwiches, still in their wrapping. Handing one to Renee, he unwrapped his and began looking around.

They had been searching the woods for hours, before realizing that they were the only ones who hadn't been checking in with everyone else. After finally turning on their radios, and ensuring that they really were alive and had not been taken by a creepy serial killer in the woods, like Leroy had been certain had happened,which of course, convinced everyone to not go searching for them, everyone called it a night, it being after ten o clock at night. Graham and Renee sat in front of the Mayor's house for a good ten minutes before getting up the courage to go up and admit defeat.

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><p>"What do you mean, you didn't find him? Well, where is he? Everyone else searched the entire town, and there was talk of dragging the docks to find a body, and now you are telling me that you have no idea where my son is!" Regina was livid, gesturing with her hands as Renee saw tears well up in her eyes. For all of her overbearing personality, she really loved her son, and Renee could see it in how she broke down. She could tell that Regina was at her breaking point. She herded Regina inside, worried about what the mayor would do tonight.<p>

"Regina, you should go inside, get some rest. He is probably on his way home right now, and you and I will both look him over until you are sure he is alright and then you will both go to bed and you will wake up in the morning and he will be there. Okay, now come inside, calm down." After Renee got the mayor inside, she saw a yellow Volkswagen bug pulled up to the drive and out stepped Henry. Renee sighed in relief. She called out to Regina, who came running outside.

"Henry… Henry! Are you okay? Where have you been? What happened?" Regina ran her hands, trying to affirm that he was right there, nearly hysterical in her relief. "Renee, will you…?"

"Of course Regina; come on Hen…. Oh My God. " Renee stared at the stranger who was standing in front of the yellow bug, the blonde hair and leather jacket clicking in her brain before looking down at the kid in front of her, then at Regina, then at the stranger, then at Henry again before looking at Graham, then looking at Henry again. "Explain," Renee said, unsure whether she was talking to the kid or her best friend. Henry stepped in.

"You know her too?! Cool! I told you Emma! Ask Dr. Xantho, she believes me! Right, Dr. Xantho?" Henry looked at Renee with big Bambi eyes. Renee shifted uncomfortably under everyone's glances and said, "Henry, I need to make sure that you are alright, okay. You have school tomorrow, right?" she looked at Graham for confirmation, and he shrugged his shoulders and stepped back as Henry turned stone-faced and yelled at Regina "I found my real mom!" As he stormed away, my mind went into overdrive.

"Emma…" Renee said slowly, still trying to comprehend what just happened. "Is he right? Is Henry your son? The one from ten years ago? From Neal?" She said this last part in a whisper, almost to herself, not expecting an answer. Renee tried to prioritize, but her brain was so confused. Regina however, looked shocked as she asked "Y-you're Henry's birth mother?" Emma was obviously feeling awkward after that whole scene and simply said "Hi…"

The two were still staring at each other an awkward moment later, when Graham had re-positioned himself behind Renee before touching her shoulder gently, trying to bring her to her senses and saying "I'll just go… Check on the lad… make sure he's alright." Shaking her, Renee snapped back to attention, jumping into the conversation; "Me too. Come on, let's go check on Henry…" They awkwardly made it inside the house before Graham commented, "You really wanted out of that conversation. You looked like your head was about to fall off."

"Was it really that obvious?" Renee asked, cringing out of embarrassment. "But seriously, who does that happen to? That could only happen to me, right? My adopted foster sister's son is the son of my boss. I mean, who does that happen to? Not to mention I hated his dad, imagine if he just showed up next, I mean really?" Renee's voice was in quiet exasperation, and she gestured with her hands, seemingly frustrated at the thought of seeing Neal.

"Renee, I am going to get Henry and you are going to do your job and then you and I are going home and I am going to get you a drink." With this promise, he left, bringing back Henry, who was fine except for his temperature being a little low. Renee sent him to bed as Regina and Emma came outside.

"Call me in the morning Emma." Renee said, exhausted, after she told Regina about Henry's condition.

"Yes. Miss Swan, in the morning. I need my doctor to have enough sleep to take care of patients tomorrow." Regina said this, keeping her arms folded and watching as her sheriff and her doctor walked away with his arm around her waist, both exhausted.

* * *

><p>"This has been an interesting day." Renee said, tired, taking the hot chocolate out of Graham's hand and setting it on her table as they both just relaxed in her apartment.<p>

"No kidding. So, am I your favorite person for giving you chocolate?" Graham rested on Renee's couch and almost closed his eyes, as he watched Renee take a savoring sip of his hot chocolate.

"Oh please, you were never my favorite person. That has always belonged to Emma. However, you are slowly climbing up there". Renee said as she relaxed for the first time all day.

"Oh, am I now? So, you wouldn't object to, say, darts at Granny's on Friday night?" He was smirking as he saw Renee glance up, look at him with wide eyes, and then turn her brain on. Graham was fascinated as he could almost visibly see the wheels turning as she played back the moment, processed the request. He saw her confusion clearly on her face, and smiled when she decided on something.

"Was that you asking me on a date?" Renee asked, genuinely believing that this was the most important question on her mind in that moment. Graham's smile faded as he looked at the exhausted woman beside him, and he looked sheepish as he replied, "Yes…?" He cringed, and to his wonderment, he heard a small voice say, "I'd like that." Renee, after saying this, closed her eyes. Expecting more of a response, Graham said, "What?", but there was no answer. He waved his hand in front of Renee's face, and instead of Renee freaking out or judo-flipping him like he expected she let out a little snort. Graham froze, wondering whether to wake up the exhausted doctor or just leave, but if she just left she would be on the sofa, which looked really uncomfortable. Graham mumbled, "This is ridiculous. I'm not leaving her stranded on her own sofa, in her apartment." He bent down, took off her shoes, and picked her up, bridal style. He stopped, frozen in his tracks when she snuggled into him for a moment and then kept walking across the apartment until he set her down on her bed. Tucking her in, he whispered, "Good Night." And turned the light off before leaving the apartment.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Renee was woken by the sun shining into her apartment, and sat up in her bed. Suddenly, she froze, looking around, and wondered how she had gotten to the bed. Deciding that she must have walked there and forgotten there in her exhausted state the night before, she got up and took a shower. She got dressed and was doing her hair when she looked at her one unpacked box and looked inside. She was wary when she realized that this box contained all of her keepsakes from her years in the foster system. She looked through the box, remembering, until, at the very bottom of the box, she saw a Dollond telescope that she had had ever since she could remember. Captivated, she stared at it until her phone started playing Emma's ringtone, the James Bond theme song.<p>

Renee answered, glancing at the clock and realizing that she was late to work and rushing to finish getting ready;"Emma… hey! I'm sorry I had to duck out last night, I was exhausted. I don't even remember getting into bed last night. It's been a long time since that has happened. Are you okay? Happy late birthday. I was going to call you yesterday, but things happened and then I was running through the woods."

"Renee, breathe. I'm fine, just a bit overwhelmed. It was just extremely weird meeting my son for the first time. I mean he's ten, and he thinks his mom is an evil queen, it's… it's weird. That's the only word for it. Weird. And then he lives here, and you know him, it's weird. I'm still kind of in shock. I crashed into a sign leaving town."

"You WHAT!?" Renee said, until this point she had been quietly sitting on her bed, listening to Emma rant. "Are you hurt? Where are you? Why did you crash? Were you drunk? What happened?"

"Oh, calm down Ren, I'm fine. I saw a wolf in the road, swerved and hit the 'You Are Now Leaving Storybrooke' sign. I'm fine. Just a little shaken."

"Ok. I will find you later and check on you. I have to get to the hospital. I'm late already. See you later Emma, Bye." Rushing out of the apartment, Renee ran to get on her bike, and went to work at the hospital.

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><p><span><strong>AN: To everyone who reads this story, thank you, also: Special Shout Out to all the people who have favoritedfollowed this story and a Special thank you to Dream Your Own Destiny for being my first reviewer on this story. I hope the chapter lived up to expectations, and thank you for the positive words. If anyone ever reviews and has questions I will be happy to answer them in the next chapter, or you can PM me and I will get back to you as soon as possible. It means so much to me that people are actually reading this story! Thank you so much.**


	4. Chapter 2: The Thing You Love Most

**Disclaimer: I do not own OUAT. However, I do own Renee and wish she actually existed. Virtual cookies to whoever can guess what this intro is and what it means. :) **

Darkness. Oblivion felt like heaven compared to this. The pain overwhelmed her, pushing her past her breaking point into the abyss of her darkened soul. All she could see was the darkness, and there she stayed. No matter how long she had sat in this abyss, she seemed to torture herself inside of the ever-present darkness. Occasionally, she would find a memory. They were never happy, a result of her by-now darkened soul. Memories, she found, were solidified in her mind as pictures. In one, a tortured face, she realized, was actually herself in the mirror. Another, she saw, was a broken body. The last she saw continuously, until it became synonymous with her now usual situation within the darkness. It was of a room.

This room, she called Oblivion. It grew out of the darkest corner of her mind, where she spent the majority of her time. It was so real to her, she, by this time, did not know whether it was a memory or a figment of her imagination. A simple white room. That's all it was. A room with a black door. There was a cot in the corner, and occasionally she could hear footsteps rocking back and forth. Here was where she spent her time. Here was her isolation. Here was her destitution. Here was where she dared to show humanity. Here was where she cried. Here was where she finally let go of her unsheltered emotions. Here was where she died.

This room, she mused, however lonely, had something outside the large black door. The door was so ominous, she had never ventured past. It loomed in the middle of the wall, and seemed to emit a yellow glow. Once or twice she had thought of passing through, but preferred the plain, white room to the unknown laying outside. However, once she heard the screams.

They started, and increasingly became louder until the shrill cries were all she could hear even over her own breathing. The door seemed almost friendly, now. As she looked around her room, she saw, with a harshness she could barely describe, a color stream through the walls painting them with a horrifying brightness. Closer, she dares, as she touches the walls, shocked when the thick substance coats her fingers and floods her senses with a smell long forgotten. Blood.

She remembers, in an instant, and the room seems to now match the door. Pitch black, with no hope of any light. Blood pours down the walls, trapping her in a memory. Bodies start to pile by the cot, and the walls hold chains that have dried blood and skin hanging off of them. The carpet beneath her feet becomes cold stone, drenched with her own blood as she looks down at her chest, her once white clothes now drenched with the dark red nightmare of her dreams. Her breath hitches, and she finds her chest closed off, fighting for every breath. She stumbles to the door, her only thought of escape.

As she pushes open the door, and stumbles through the hallway, screams and bodies pile around her, leaving her no space to veer from her newfound path. She runs now, forgetting the blood in her desperate attempt to leave the scene, and finds herself blocked in all but one direction by the nightmares of her mind. This door, unlike the others she had passed, was a dark green, and it beckoned to her. She walked through.

Darkness. The path to darkness, she found, was brought to her by a dark green door. She wanders, and her mind brings images unbidden to the forefront of the new torture, the unimaginable darkness. Most people's darkness, she assumed, wasn't as dark as hers. The black seemed to have shades, hues of red and brown mixing with the black to create a feeling of emptiness in the black hole of her soul.

Now, she sees something. She goes closer, seeing something that seems to be something akin to dust. It sparkles gold, and with the curiosity of a child she stares. Seemingly translucent, its sheen draws her to it, closer and closer she comes. She watches. It grows and retreats, a flowing melody of new light. It envelopes her, and she finds herself fascinated with the complex music that is seen in the air. It sings to her, showing her the beautiful complexities of its nature.

Without knowing, she finds herself once again in front of a door, but is not afraid to approach. Sighing once, Renee opens the door and is flooded with the sensation of light, and is in a pure, white room.

* * *

><p>Renee stood in the town square, and looked up at the clock tower. To her surprise, it was moving. As she stood there in confusion, the clock started to chime for nine o' clock. She gazed at the clock, and just watched it. Mayor Mills walked up to her, and said "What are you staring at? … What?!" Renee looked at Regina and said with a chill in her voice, "Yeah, the clock's moving. What is the big deal? Are Henry and Emma okay? Graham came in late last night, woke all of us up. I couldn't stop by." Truthfully, Renee could have stopped by, especially after hearing from Graham that Emma was in jail for driving under the influence, but she had decided not to. Emma was an interesting phenomenon in Renee's life, and she just wanted things back to normal.<p>

"Please don't ever talk to me about Ms. Swan again." Regina said coldly, looking at Renee once before looking back up at the tower. "She will no longer be a problem. She is leaving town. Didn't you know?"

With a start, Archie came up behind both of them, saying, "Well, would you look at that, looks like those rusty innards finally straightened themselves out, How about that?" Renee and Regina turned around and stared incredulously at Archie.

"Yes. How about that indeed?" Regina replied to Archie with a gleam in her eye.

"Seriously, Archie. Really? In front of Regina? Why would you say that?" Renee whispered to Archie, watching as Regina huffed away.

Renee turned around, about to go into Granny's when she saw a curious yellow Volkswagen outside of the restaurant. Her eyes grew big as she saw Regina go to the inn, and enter. She sighed.

"Why does this always happen to Emma? Why can't they happen to Whale? He actually deserves it." She felt a buzzing in her pocket and to her surprise, Victor Whale popped up on caller I.D. "Speak of the devil." Renee muttered to herself as she answered her phone.

"What is it? It is my day off." Renee answered irritably, not really wanting to deal with Whale at that moment.

"No, it's not. It's my day off." Whale said back, with a slur in his voice that said all too clearly that he was hung-over.

"Well, it's not both of our days off." Renee said, sighing and rubbing her temples with one hand as she entered Granny's and sat down.

"You're right. It's my day off. Have fun with patients and the E.R. I'll take the night shift. Thanks, you're the best!" Renee moved to answer but was cut off by the sound of the dial tone. She sighed once more as Ruby brought her hot chocolate with extra whipped cream and chocolate sauce on top.

"Here you go. I hope you don't mind that I presumed your order. You are very predictable, and you looked like you needed some chocolate, or a beer, but from that conversation, I'm guessing you can't have that." Ruby said sympathetically, sitting in the chair across from her.

"Yeah. I am now officially on call. Thanks, Ruby. Can you get me some bacon and a biscuit to go, please?" Renee ordered, once again rubbing her hands on her temples, trying to ward off the coming migraine, and taking a sip of hot chocolate.

"Dr. Xantho, pleasure seeing you here. May I join you?" Renee looked up to see Mr. Gold standing at her table, gazing at her with a curious expression.

"Yes. I mean, I was just leaving, I'm on call, but I can wait, if you like." Renee stumbled through her words, nearly exhausted just thinking about work.

"I won't keep you. I was just wondering if you knew whether Miss Swan was staying in town any longer. Young Henry seems to have taken quite a shine to her." When Mr. Gold mentioned Henry, Renee looked up, suspicious. Renee wondered if there was more to this man than there had first appeared, and for a moment saw a borderline sadistic look on his face. Shaking her head to rid herself of the disturbing mental picture, she drank more from her hot chocolate, trying to wake herself up from her sleep deprived state.

"Well then, I won't waste your time. I will see you soon, Dr. Xantho." Rising, he took his cane from its resting place next to the table and strode out of the café, as Renee took her last sip of her hot chocolate, she rose as well, giving Ruby her money and grabbing her food.

* * *

><p>Lunchtime, and Renee found herself in the hospital cafeteria, looking at a pair of forest green eyes. "Renee, thought you would want to know that Emma's been arrested. Again." Graham's eyes rolled as he ate his own lunch from Granny's. "Renee, Regina's on the warpath and I am afraid that if this escalates anymore, Henry is going to be the one hurt." His eyes sparked with sadness, and Renee agreed completely.<p>

"Wait. Emma's been arrested? What for? And of course she is. We both know how protective she is of him." She said, eating her jello and pausing in shock when Graham replied.

"You aren't going to like this. She stole Henry's files from Archie. And yes, Archie called it in." His eyes looked penetratingly in, searching for her reaction.

"She what?" Renee asked as her brain tried to process the information.

"Yeah. Mary Margaret is bailing her out now." At this, Renee's mouth dropped open further, and was surprised when it didn't hit the table.

"Does she even know Mary Margaret?" Renee asked, and Graham looked at her with amusement.

"Henry, Renee. Somehow, Henry convinced Mary Margaret to post bail for Emma. I don't know why she didn't just call you." Graham said, standing up and walking to her. "So, do you remember what happened a couple nights ago?"

At this, Renee paused in her eating, and looked at Graham, before saying "Which part? The part where you asked me out, the part where I said yes or the part where I freaked out in Regina's living room? A lot happened that night."

Graham sighed and said, "Okay. You do remember that. Cool. I will see you on Friday then. I have to go make sure that Emma's arrest papers and release forms are filled out correctly."

"Sounds great. Oh, and Graham, about Henry, you should talk with Regina about it. Maybe she will listen to reason. There isn't a very good chance, but there is one. If you feel that strongly about it, you should say something." Renee watched as he gave her a smile and left, leaving her to her lunch.

* * *

><p>It was around three o' clock, when a nurse came up looking at Renee with amusement in her eyes. "Dr. Xantho, there is a visitor for you in your office."<p>

Curious, Renee looked and asked the nurse, "Who is it?"

"Oh, don't worry. You know him. What he's doing, who knows?" The nurse walked away, chuckling. Renee watched her, now just confused.

Walking into her office and closing the door she turned around to find a young Henry in her chair. "Get out of my chair. What are you doing here?" Henry gladly got out of the chair and ran to Renee and hugged her, much to her surprise.

"I came to see you. You told me that I could come to you if I ever needed anything right? Well, I want you to help my mom. See, she's important. She is the center of the curse. Do you believe in the curse?" Henry looked at Renee with his big eyes, and Renee could see the hurt in his eyes.

"Truthfully kid, I don't. Just thinking about it gives me a headache, and while, I understand it, I also don't. At all. Are you okay? How are you doing with your mom?" Renee tried to reach the kid, while also telling the truth, which is a lot harder than it seems.

"Okay, I guess. I just don't want Emma anywhere near my mom. That would be bad. I just want to know her. Is that a bad thing?" Henry said, opening up to her as Renee froze, then picked up some tissues from her desk, just in case. "Oh, I don't need those. Just hear me out. Think about it. Miss Blanchard loves birds, and being with little people, she's totally Snow White. We could do so much if you, me and Emma worked together. Just think about it?" Henry pleaded.

"Fine. I will think about it. Now go to your mother, or Emma, or whoever you are supposed to be with right now." As Henry half bounced out of her office, Renee sighed, trying to rub away another headache as she glanced away towards the Intensive Care Unit and her John Doe.

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><p><span><strong>AN: Hey guys! Over 400 views on this story. Sorry it took so long to update. I had so many ideas and then came school. I am hoping to get a few more chapters up this weekend hopefully since I have no homework. As usual, read and review. I will always answer any questions and consider any ideas in this story. Feel free to message me or leave a review. I love both positive and negative feedback, but please no flames. After this I will be answering reviewers. Warning.<strong>

**RevanIRL: I actually have plans for this story up through the first half of season 3. The problem is I've been getting too excited about that and now I have to get there.**

**Andristasia Grey-Darcy: While I am a firm shipper of Gremma, (it being my OTP), I don't know if it will fit into my plans for the story.**

**Dream Your Own Destiny: Thank you! **


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